Ahead of the important BRICS Summit in Kazan Russia, which will be attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi, Chinese President XI Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, India and China have reached a significant breakthrough in their Himalayan border dispute.
Both countries have agreed to resume border patrolling in their four-year-long standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which temporarily demarcates the borders between India and China in the High Himalayas. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Monday, announced that both nations have come to a consensus on conducting joint patrols in the region. This development could pave the way for further disengagement efforts, signalling a positive step toward easing tensions in the region.
This significant step comes just ahead of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, scheduled for October 22-23, where Prime Narendra Modi will be participating.
Speaking to the press, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said “I can share with you that over the last several weeks Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other. As a result of these discussions, an agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along LAC in the border areas, leading to disengagement and resolution of the issues that arose in these areas in 2020.”
When asked about a potential bilateral meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, he stated, “In recent weeks, diplomatic and military discussions between India and China have been ongoing. We are still coordinating the timing and details for any bilateral engagements.”
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had told army top brass last week, that he is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about progress in India-China talks to resolve the border standoff, asking them to be ready for contingencies nevertheless.
India and China have been locked in a tense border standoff in eastern Ladakh in the Himalayas, since the 2020 Galwan Valley Clash. The clash, the worst in 40 years, led to the death of 20 Indian troops and an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers.
The recent progress in talks included exploring options for a possible solution that factors in the respective pre-April 2020 positions of both sides and addressing existing issues in Arunachal Pradesh.
India has said that the decision would open access to certain patrolling points for the Indian troops, that had been restricted due to the ongoing dispute.
